Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy hosted a lunch to mark International Women’s Day (IWD) in the Members’ Restaurant on Thursday.
It was just as well, because the Dáil didn’t seem to notice.
On Tuesday, Ruth Coppinger of People Before Profit-Solidarity noted there was no discussion on IWD on the Dáil schedule this week.
She thought it “outrageous” that the day was overlooked by parliament. She was speaking during a debate on online safety, an issue which is of huge importance to young women and girls.
It was unusual for the House not to recognise the day, even if it often feels like the same speeches are recycled year after year, particularly by male TDs sent in to deliver a speech.
The Ceann welcomed guests including current and past women members of the Oireachtas, among them TDs and senators from the Irish Women’s Parliamentary Caucus. Drogheda-based Senator Alison Comyn has just taken over from her Fianna Fáil colleague Fiona O’Loughlin as chair of the body.
Everyone was delighted to see former EU commissioner Mairead McGuinness at the lunch, recovered and in great form following a serious illness which forced her to abandon her campaign to contest the presidency for Fine Gael.
The shiny black cars parked out at Leinster Lawn belonged to the many women members of the Diplomatic Corps who also attended.
“Today is a day of celebration and recognition for women in all aspects of life, women who are defining business, education, science, the arts, public service, and community life. Women who have used their voices to reach out and influence others,” said Murphy.
There was music and song between courses and uplifting speeches from guest speakers from her Wexford/Waterford bailiwick in the sunny southeast.
Tammy Darcy, founder of the Shona Project, told how her experience as a teenager who was bullied at school while coming to term with her big sister’s sudden, devastating illness, shaped her early years.
Her confidence collapsed and she tried to hide herself away.
“Our girls are sitting in classrooms believing that they are invisible, that even if they have the strength to speak out, no one will listen or value what they have to say.”
Through school workshops and online events, the Shona Project aims to educate, empower and inspire teenage girls to become the strong, young women of tomorrow.
Another speaker was Eileen Rowe, founder and organiser of the annual Dip in the Nip fundraiser for Hope Cancer Support Centre.
Eileen revealed that after years of unsuccessful attempts, she finally got Verona Murphy on board. The Ceann said she will be stripping off again this year for the July 19th dip at Rosslare Strand, trying to convince dubious looking political colleagues to join her.
Students Emma Hickey, Ava Wilson and May Heaphy from St Mary’s Secondary School, New Ross, won the admiration of the their audience with accounts of how they overcame adversities to become successful sportswomen.
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It’s not just stranded tourists, anxious workers and discommoded Dubai influencers who were repatriated this week.
Also breathing a sign of relief is Eoin Hayes, the Social Democrat TD for Dublin Bay South, who has finally returned home to his own people.
Eoin was banished from the fold just weeks after his election in 2024 after he gave wrong information about when he disposed of shares he held in Palantir, a software company with strong links to the US and Israel military.
He was readmitted to the parliamentary party last summer following a near eight-month suspension, although we hear not all members of the Soc Dem team in Leinster House were happy with the decision.
At the time of his suspension, the Oireachtas was allocating office space to the various parties and groupings in the new Dáil. As an accidental independent, Eoin was billeted in a different building to his erstwhile colleagues.
It has taken over a year, but he has now been moved from his office in the Engineering Block to join the rest of the gang over in Agriculture House.
Perhaps not the best time for Eoin to return, with his former employer Palantir in the spotlight for its work providing real-time AI data intelligence for US and Israel military operations in their war on Iran.
The burning question now is: Did Deputy Hayes pay €800 to be repatriated or did the Soc Dems waive the fee?
Meanwhile, over at Government Buildings, they won’t have to worry about repatriating the Minister of State at the Department of Justice Niall Collins, who was due to visit Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates as part of the annual St Patrick’s week ministerial airlift.
We understand his trip is unlikely to happen now.
However, we hear Niall may be diverted to Chile and Argentina, where Minister for Education Hildegarde Naughton is already pencilled in for a visit.
Jim O’Callaghan, the Minister for Justice, was due to visit Greece and Cyprus, but the Cyprus leg of the trip has been cancelled.
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Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy was on Virgin Media’s Tonight show this week, talking about the war in Iran.
“It’s a scary time, and again, to go back to it, the UN isn’t perfect but it’s the only hope humanity has. Therefore I think it is critically important that independent neutral states actually adhere and protect our neutrality and become vital globally for conflict resolution,” he told presenter Shane Coleman.
The TD for Cavan-Monaghan, was in reflective mode.
“Because there isn’t … I can’t think of an instance where bombing a country ended up resulting in a better situation …”
Matt would have been a child when the IRA’s armed struggle – eulogised and mythologised by his party – was in full, murderous spate and its indiscriminate bombing campaign in this country and in England killed hundreds of ordinary working people and their children.
And it was good to hear one of Sinn Féin new generation say this.
It may not go down so well in Belfast, though.
And they’ll have to tear up the script for a lot of their commemorations now.
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Maria Zakharova, the spokeswoman for Russia’s foreign ministry, held one of her regular press sessions in Moscow last month and Dublin figured early on in her lengthy briefing.
“We took note of the heated debate in Ireland regarding the proposal by the European Commission to provide a €90 billion loan to Ukraine for 2026 and 2027,” she said.
“Representatives of major Opposition parties chastised the Government of Micheál Martin for his readiness to provide these funds, and the majority of these funds will be used for military expenses as Dublin agrees to such an initiative.”
During the debate on a Government motion seeking approval to take part in the loan scheme, Sinn Féin’s finance spokesman Pearse Doherty strongly opposed sending this financial aid to the war-torn country while both the Labour Party and the Social Democrats asked for assurances that Ireland’s portion of the loan would be in line with our policy of military neutrality.
In her briefing, Zakharova pointed out that Ireland has already given over €464 million to “the Zelenskiy regime” and the latest payments would be “a burden for the rank-and-file Irish taxpayers”.
These attempts to increase the EU’s military budget are taking place “amid sharp lack of funding to address social and economic issues in Ireland” while helping to “destroy the traditional neutrality of the country”.
Somebody in the Russian Embassy in Orwell Road was paying close attention to what was said in Leinster House. In particular, the main points in Pearse Doherty’s fiery contribution were reflected in the remarks from spokeswoman Zakharova in Moscow.
His party voted against the motion and its MEPs subsequently voted against the loan in the European Parliament. Independent Ireland TDs, People Before Profit and Aontú also rejected the motion.
The vote was carried by 92 to 38, with the Social Democrats and Labour Party voting with the Government.
Zakharova appeared heartened that “the majority of the Irish people are reasonable” and understand that this “utopian” idea that the loan will be recouped through Russian reparations or the “stealing of our assets” is an “illusion”.
Dublin is becoming “a tool for geopolitical games of London and Brussels, but that doesn’t bother the Government of Micheál Martin,” she said.
The issue resurfaced in the Dáil this week when Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald called on the Taoiseach to condemn the US-Israeli strikes on Iran without qualification and state clearly that they are in breach of international law.
In his reply, Micheál Martin stuck to the Government’s pre-Washington visit drill and dodged giving a direct answer. But he noted that Mary Lou referenced Ukraine in her question.
She didn’t, but it gave him a chance to remind her that Sinn Féin opposed the €90 billion loan from Europe to Ukraine.
“If we were to follow Sinn Féin’s advice, it would have been tantamount to asking Ukraine to surrender now to the Russians.”
Micheál’s Government has never had problem saying straight out that Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. But then, he won’t be in the Kremlin with a bowl of shamrock any time soon.
Without that loan, Ukraine would not have been able to continue defending itself, he told the Sinn Féin Leader.
“Putin was delighted” with their stance, taunted the Taoiseach. “If everybody else took the Sinn Féin view, the happiest man globally would be Putin.”
Sounds like Maria Zakharova, Putin’s foreign affairs spokeswoman, agrees.